In the famous 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� short animated film, 鈥淐hristmastime for the Jews,鈥� as Christians retreat to their homes to celebrate Christmas, claymation Jewish people take to the empty streets to 鈥�.
"They can crank Barbra Streisand on the streets they cruise, Christmastime for the Jews.鈥�
鈥淔rom a Jewish perspective, there is not a lot going on in town on December 25th,鈥� said David Chevan, bass player and leader of the klezmer group Nu Haven Kapelye. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not like we are going to sit around in red pajamas all day by a tree because we are Jewish. Sure, there are a few restaurants and movie houses open. But why not create something for the community to do on December 25th?鈥�
What they created, back in 1998, was a Christmas Day concert of klezmer, the distinctive and traditional instrumental folk music of the Ashkenazi Jewish people of Central and Eastern Europe.
The group of Jewish musicians and singers in the New Haven area became the genesis of the Nu Haven Kapelye, a community-based klezmer big band and orchestra. The performers soon embraced the annual tradition of a klezmer concert for Jewish people in Greater New Haven. This year鈥檚 Christmas Day concert in Hamden, is the event鈥檚 25th anniversary.
The purpose of the music, Chevan said, is to dance and celebrate, and he expects people coming to Monday鈥檚 concert will bring their dancing shoes.
鈥淲hen you get people dancing, I feel very fulfilled,鈥� Chevan said. 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e fulfilled the mission of this music, fulfilled the vision of this music, and it鈥檚 just so much fun to have that interaction between band and dancers.鈥�
The concert is also a celebration of the release of Nu Haven Kapelye鈥檚 new album, 鈥淣u Haven Style,鈥� a collection of new arrangements of klezmer and Yiddish songs. The first track on the album, 鈥淭uretskaya,鈥� is the oldest known recorded klezmer song, Chevan said.
The Nu Haven Kapelye performs Monday, Dec. 25, at 4 p.m.at the Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden.
